Hello,

I'm heading to mexico this winter. What are the camping options and is it advisable to camp?

Thanks.

David

Camping in Mexico is possible in pay-for use campgrounds mainly in areas frequented by a lot of foreign tourists such as along the coasts , near the historic cities , some of the national and state parks and archaelogical attractions. Campsites in the normal countryside are few and far between .
Free camping in isolated areas is possible but you have to pick your location very carefully to be out of sight and not draw attention to your presence , so no no bright lights and no campfires which are a fire hazard anyway in the dry brush and grass of winter.Finding a good spot will often be very tricky as any site which will look attractive is either already claimed by the ranchers, the farmers or squatters. If it isn't lived on it will either be too rough and rocky or overgrown with cactus or tick infested scrub or it will turn out to be the access route for a burro trail to some isolated settlement up the barranca . Camp in such places and you are apt to be awakened by the clatter of pack animals during the night as late or early traffic comes by, or you will get a lot of surprise visitors, mostly well meaning but you never know.
Then there is the problem of the length of night- 12 hours of dark .Considering you do not want to be riding after dark this means you will be camping half the day and at such free wild camping spots getting pretty bored with no lights, no cooking fires , no shower, no toilet.
So , the best suggestion would be to camp at organized campgrounds when you can , free camp only if everthing is safe , and mostly use the small local hotels which are very reasonably priced and can be found in just about any small town .That way you have a safe secure bed, a safe place to park the bike , you can spend the evening at your leisure enjoying the local atmosphere around the plaza and talk with the locals , try the restaurants, the shops. And you will sleep well not worrying or dreaming about getting surprised by unwelcome visits.

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http://advrider.com/index.php?thread....207964/page-5 then scroll down to post #93

If you like camping go for it. There are places to camp but not always easy to find. I have camped quite a bit in Mexico. Try a search for trailer parks Mexico on google and you should come up with some options. You won't save a lot of money compared to cheap hotels or hostels which will be better located in towns and you won't have to carry all the gear. If you plan on coming to Mexico City send me a PM or post here.

I spent about a month camping there.
I agree with Bakker on a bunch of things.
The nights are long, but it gives you a chance to go over your gear, bike, make dinner etc. I enjoyed the time I had to myself.
At some point you will be woken up by people in the morning. They will tell you there are robbers in the area, they will tell you you are sleeping in a Turantula infested area, etc. I met 1 thief who did not take anything and only saw one spider - on the road.

I just found spots big enough for my tent and made camp. I even opened (and closed) a few gates to camp in fields. Don't leave a mess and don't drive over chickens when you leave.

I agree with Bakker again about staying in towns, you can leave your bike for awhile, meet people, and enjoy some good food. Towns are fun too, just more expensive.

Hi
I spent best part of a year travelling around Mexico, loads of places to just pull up and pitch your tent no problem, no one really bothers you, i only ever used a campsite once and got robbed, lost nearly $500 worth of gear. If you want to see a town get a room there cheap enough and you can always get your bike off the road. Skip

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